Stonecutting machine



'CJHEPBURN `lune 24, 1930.

STONE CUTTING AMACHINE Filed Dec. l, 1927 l2 sheets-sheet l June 24, 1930.. c. HEPBURN l .A 1,768,525

STONE CUTTING MACHINE FiledJDec. lI 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figa. s I4 WMM Patented .lune 24, 1930 PATENT l oFFicE CHARLES HEPBURN, IBEEBE, QUEBEC, C ANAIDl-l;

sronncurrnve Massime Application' filed December 1, 1927. Serial 110.2365317.

My invention has particular reference to the production of cylindrical columnsr from a rough block of stone, either granite, marble, limestone, sandstone and the like. The invention has for its object to produce columns of this nature of true cylindrical form; and to this end my machine consists of means for cutting away the body of stone surrounding the column to be produced without having any part of the cutting means or its support* ing frame encroaching upon the space occupied by or to be occupied by the column be ing 4or to be produced, y

More specifically stated my invention consists of a cylindrical cutter composed of a saw with cutting teeth at one end, means for y carrying the saw, means for rotating it, and means for feeding the saw into the stone, an abrasive being supplied to the cutting edge as usual in all stone sawing operations.

For full comprehension, how-ever, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters vindicate the same vparts and wherein: y

vFigure 1 is a side elevation of my improved stone cutting machine partly in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of my stone cutting machine;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on a line slightly above the saw;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4 4 Figure 1 and illustrated at a larger scale for better' illustration;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the connection between the driving gear and vthe saw, and showing the structure at a larger scale;

Figure 6 isa vertical sectional view of the driving gear for operating the saw, drawn to a larger scale than appears in Figure 1; and

Figures 7 and 8 are detail views7 in horizontal section and fragmentary side elevation, respectively of the mechanical connection for raising and lowering-the saw.

rlhe operating'mechanism of my stone outting machine is supported on four trl-shaped steel posts 2, one iiange of each post forming a vertical gui-de for a carrying frame on which thecylindrical saw mounted. These posts are secured in vertical position on plates 3 by angles`4, the plates being anchored on bases 5 of concret-e or any sui-table material to present a solid horizontal supporting sur# face. Diagonal crossed braces 6 and 7 are united to and relativelybrac-e'y the posts at the sides of the frame as shown ,in Figure 1. In order to moreefl'ectively guide the vertical vmovableframe for carrying the oper-V ating mechanism, 'angle irons v8 are secured to the sides of the posts. The supporting frame' formed by these posts may be of any desired height. The top ofthe frame is braced by a channel iron 9 secured to the' flanges rof the H-posts 2 above the angle irons 8 kand these channel irons 9 are connected and braced together by inverted channel irons k10. Atv the top of each post is supported a horizontal bevel gear 12 with which intermeshes a bevel pinion 13. The bevel pinions are mounted rota'tively on the shafts 14 jourl nalled vin bearings 15. The horizontal bevel gears are mounted rigidly on the upper -ends of vertical feeding screws 20 extendingldownwardly within the posts atthe inner sides thereof. `A motor 121 is shown in Figure 3. The motor bein mounted on the rigid top frame 9 and 10 Figure The function of this motor andthe power transmission consisting of the shafts 14, pinions 13 and bevel gears 12 is to rotate the screws `and deve-lop upwardor downward feeding motion in the screw to raise or downwardly feed the horizontal saw.

The saw is mounted in a movable carrying frame supported by and movable by the screws. This movable carrying frame is of rectangular form and lits within the H-shape posts of the supporting frame. Thisjcarr'ying frame consists of a pair of channel irons 21 and channel irons 22, '23 rand 24 secured'at their ends to thechannel irons 21,`the channel 22 being secured a short distance from one end of each of the channels 21 and the channels 23and 24` being secured near the opposite ends of the channels 21 and spaced a short distance apart to afford a stable support for an electric motor v25 and a bearing y 26, the latter containing journal bearings in which a shaft 27 is rotatably mounted. rlhe channels, 21, 22 and 23 are braced together by diagonal corner channels 28. The motor 25 (Figure 2) is operatively connected to the shaft 27 by sprockets 29 and a driving chain 30. Adjustable sliding members 31 are attached to the channels 21 to prevent any other than a true vertical movement of the carrying frame. The screws 2O are engaged by nuts 32 which are secured rigidly to channels 21. The channels 21 have secured thereto guidingv angular members 31. Between these guiding members 31 and 8 is the H post on which the guiding angle-iron 8 is mounted and slides on the channels 21. The inside flanges of this H-member 2 encloses the screws 2() which are engaged by nuts 32 secured rigidly on the channels 21. The cylindrical saw and its supporting and driving members are indicated in detail in Figure 6. The cylindrical saw is indicated at 33 and has notches 34 (Figure 1) kcut in its lower edge. A carryingring 35 for the saw consists of U-cross section with its lower leg extending slightly inwardly relatively to the saw and beyond the upper leg. The lower legis connected by a web or annular plate 36 connected at its inner end by an angle iron ring 37 to the upper endpof the cylindrical saw while an annular toothed rack 38 is rigidly mounted on the upper leg of the ring 36. The ring is rotatably support-ed on a series of bearings 39 rigidlysecured to the carrying frame through the diagonal braces 28, inwardly projecting anges 40 on each of these bearings supporting the ring while an anti-friction material 41, preferably Babbitt-metal is located between the bearing and the ring. The rotation of the saw is eected by the motor 25 through shaft 27 intermeshing bevel gears 42 43 and a spur gear 44 on a vert-ical shaft 45. As before mentioned the shaft 27 is mounted in journal bearings in the bearing 26. These journal bearings are indicated in Figure 6 at 4S-and the shaft 45 is journalled in a bearing 49 secured on the inside of channel 23 of the frame. On the operation of the motor 25 the rotation of the saw-is effected through its carrying ring 35, the toothed rack 38, spur gear 45 intermeshing with the tothed rack and the bevel gear. In this manner the cylindrical saw operates within the frame and the depth of the saw is sufficient to permit it to be braced within the cut it makes in the stone, the Walls of the cut serving to brace the saw for several inches above its cutting edge. The surplus stone outside of the saw above this point being broken.

Operation Briefly stated the stone from which the cylindrical column is to be cut is moved within the space between the posts 8, the motor 21 being operated to lift the carrying frame 21, etc. above the level of the stone and it is lowered by this motor to a point with the cutting edge of the saw in contact with the surface of the stone, an abrasive substance being supplied to the contacting cutting edge. The motor 25 is then operated, which starts the saw operation. As the saw progresses the abrasive substance is added and as stones of different degrees of hardness varying as to the time for cutting them the relative speeds of operation of the two motors is regulated and as the saw cutting progresses the column, which is of true cylindrical form projects upwardly through the saw as indicated at 50. lV hen the cylindrical column is finished motor 25 is stopped and motor 21 is reversed, thus lifting the saw and its operating mechanism above the level of the column which may then be removed.

With the above described machine I produce cylindrical columns from a rough block of stone of any degree of hardness, such for instance as granite, marble, limestone, sandstone or other stones or similar materials as desired. It will be observed that a cylindrical column may be sawed from a rough block of stone without the saw and its supporting and operating mechanism encroaching upon the space occupied by the column being produced.

l/Vhat I claim is as follows:

1'. A stone cutting machine consisting of means for producing a cylindrical column from a rough stone block, such means comprising a cylindrical saw, means for supporting the cylindrical saw in alignment with the portion of the block from which the column is to be cut, means for feeding the saw into the block, means for actuating the saw and means whereby the column being produced will project through the cylindrical saw.

2. A machine for sawing a cylindrical column from a rough stone block comprising vertical posts having longitudinally extending lateral ianges 8, horizontal channel irons 9 uniting the upper ends of the posts at the corners of the square, a series of vertically arranged feed screws 20 disposed within the corners of the supporting frame; a rectangular cylindrical saw carrying frame consisting of channel irons 21 and l22 at three sides of the carrying frame and a pair of spaced channels 23 and 24 forming the fourth side of the carrying frame, a series of channel iron supports 28 at the corners of the carrying frame, a series of bearings carried by the channel iron supports and extending inwardly, a toothed rack 38, a cylindrical saw within the carrying frame, means including a ring 35 for uniting the toothed rack to the outside circumference of the cylindrical saw, a vertical shaft 45 and a horizontal shaft 48 arranged one at right angles to the other, a' pair of intermeshing mitre gears 42 and 43 mounted on the respective shafts, a spur pinion 44 mounted on the vertical shaft and intermeshing with the toothed rack, and

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means mounted at the upper end of the sup porting frame for rotating the feed screws in unison.

3. In a stone cutting machine the combination-with a supporting frame adapted to contain within it a rough stone block; a saw carrier slidably. engaging the supporting frame; a cylindrical saw within the carrier frame, cylindrical means rigidly secured to and encircling the saw; means to rotatably support the cylindrical means on the saw carrier; means carried by the Saw carrier to rotate the cylindrical means; and means mount-ed on the supporting frame and sawV carrier to feed the saw carrier towards the rough stone block as the saw cuts the same.

4. In a stone cutting machine, the combination with a saw carrying frame, bearings' rigidly secured to the frame; a cylindrical saw supported on the bearings; a circular rack rigidly carried on the outside periphery of the cylindrical saw; a gear intermeshing with the rack and carried rotatably in immovable position upon the carrier frame; and means for driving the gear.

5. In a stone cutting machine as claimed in claim 3, thesupporting frame of which consists of posts arranged at the corners of a square, the .saw carrier comprising a rectangular frame mounted to slide vertically upon the supporting posts and wherein the cylindrical saw has its lower end formed with saw teeth, and wherein all the operating gears for feeding and rotating the saw are entirely outside of the same.

6. In a stone cutting machine, such as claimed in claim 2, wherein the supporting frame is vertically disposed and is rectangular in horizontal section and the saw carrier comprises a carrying frame slidably mounted for vertical travel on'the supporting frame; a series of feed screws mounted in the corners of the supporting frame; a series of bevel `gears mounted at thetop of the corners of the supporting frame; means in operative p relation connecting the bevel gears with the screws; a series of horizontal shafts with bevel pinions mounted rigidly thereon for movement of the bevel gears in unison; and means for rotating the shafts.

7. A stone cutting machine kas claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for actuating the saw and the means for feeding the same into the stone are situated entirely outside of the saw, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have lsigned my name to this specilication.

CHARLES HEPBURN. 

